Chapter 118: Leaving her Behind As Xin deliberated, Midnight Duchess, seemingly unaffected by the tense atmosphere, spoke again with an air of unwavering confidence. Her words cut through the uncertainty like a blade.
"Go on. I can take care of this. I’ll catch up with you later."
Victor gripped Xin’s shoulder and urged him forward. "Let’s go, Lord Schrodinger. Don’t worry; she’s a demon, quite literally. I’m sure she’ll find a way to cheat death, as she always does."
Midnight Duchess only gave him a side eye as a response.
The growing spectacle had attracted the attention of other players in the vicinity. Their faces bore the glee of onlookers at a dramatic show, but their hopes of capturing the scene on camera were dashed; the dungeon’s camera features had been disabled.
Xin, after a moment of contemplation that felt like an eternity, made his decision clear. "Alright, let’s go," he said, and then directed his final words towards Midnight Duchess. "Good luck."
Victor wore a wide, approving grin as he moved ahead.
Rever and Yuzuro, still grappling with disbelief over Xin’s choice, found themselves in a bind.
Their unspoken loyalty to their guilds weighed heavily on their minds. Starting a feud with other guilds could lead to severe consequences, from demotion to outright expulsion.
Their personal dilemmas were, however, secondary to the gravity of the moment unfolding before them.
Midnight Duchess’s gaze never wavered from her approaching adversaries. She also had her own emotions to contend with.
For a fleeting second, she felt a twinge of disappointment, an unexpected crack in her usually impenetrable facade.
But she swiftly quelled any rising emotions.
After all, Lord Schrodinger knew nothing about her. Her ultimate goal had always been clear –– to keep him out of harm’s way.
This had been her choice. She had knew what she’d done, and she would bear its weight.
Midnight Duchess’s thoughts turned inward. She mused with a faint smile on her lips, "Shouldn’t have taken that cloak."
With an almost imperceptible nod to herself, she steeled her resolve and prepared to meet her fate head-on.
With that lingering farewell glance at Midnight Duchess, Xin and the rest of the group reluctantly moved on, leaving her to confront her pursuers and the consequences of her past actions.
As they ventured deeper into the fortress, Xin secretly conjured a small ball of water, just enough to convey a message through.
"Elysia . . ."
Xin had made a deliberate choice to purchase a basic [Water Spell] for emergencies like this. While it allowed him only one summoning per day, he had no regrets about his decision.
"I hope Midnight Duchess is going to be okay," Yuzuro whispered, her voice laden with concern.
Rever, sharing the sentiment, offered a reassuring smile to Yuzuro. "Don’t fret. She’s faced worse situations; that’s how she became a top player."
Victor nodded in agreement. Xin, on the other hand, chose to remain silent.
The next room they entered was the Dry Food Storage Room. Neglected and in a state of disarray, it was filled with the noxious stench of rotting and spoiled food. The shelves held a grotesque display of decomposing sustenance, now transformed into a revolting slime.
Within this grim setting, the skeletal remains of the chefs serve a stark reminder of the kitchen’s unfortunate fate.
Their arrival disrupted a chaotic scene: players were locked in combat with numerous skeletons. The unending horde of bone and death seemed boundless, causing Yuzuro to feel an overwhelming unease that manifested as goosebumps prickling across her skin.
Dark and malevolent energy stirred within the skeletal remains of the cooks and kitchen staffs as the players tried to lay hands on the key to open the door to the coffin.
The lifeless corpse was suddenly imbued with a frenzied and vengeful spirit, its bony hands twitching with malevolence.
Yuzuro’s face paled as she stuttered, "D-don’t tell me . . ."
Victor’s steely gaze locked onto the players already embroiled in combat with the skeletal monstrosities. They were hoping that the coveted key would be revealed upon the skeleton’s defeat.
"If we want that key then we will have to kill some skeletons until we acquired it," he declared, his eyes scanning the skirmish.
"To proceed, we must eliminate these wraithlike chef foes," Victor explained and quickly moved to intercept a group of approaching skeletal apparitions.
Rever, however, opted for a more direct approach. He underwent a ghastly transformation, shifting into his fearsome Lycanthrope form.
With the raw power of a charging behemoth, he plowed into the skeletons like a massive wrecking ball, sending skulls and bones hurtling through the air upon impact.
The collision reverberated with an earth-shaking boom akin to the explosion of dynamite.
Meanwhile, Yuzuro remained safely ensconced within a protective circle formed by Xin’s golems, her gaze anxiously fixed on the chaotic battle.
Xin summoned a DPS Golem. Having already prepared for the brewing before entering the fray, it materialized quickly and engaged the approaching skeletons with ruthless efficiency.
The defensive golems maintained their steadfast formation around Xin and Yuzuro, serving as an impenetrable barrier to prevent any skeletons from reaching them.
Meanwhile, the DPS golem relentlessly battered the skeletal adversaries that tried to come close.
Xin and Yuzuro were keenly aware of their low levels, and despite the inherent weakness of the skeletons, they understood that a single blow from these spectral chef-foes could prove fatal.
After all, this dungeon wasn’t designed for adventurers of Xin and Yuzuro’s modest level; it was a crucible meant for higher-tier players.
"I’ve got it!" Rever’s triumphant shout echoed through the room as he dangled the key above his head.
Focused on Xin and the others, Rever failed to notice the sinister gathering of shadows, which gave birth to a horde of skeletal apparitions. They emerged with claw-like hands poised to strike at Rever’s exposed back.
"Rever!" Xin’s urgent warning pierced the air.
Yuzuro, though she closed her eyes in dread, couldn’t resist casting a healing spell to aid Rever.
However, her timing couldn’t have been worse. Her spell preemptively increased Rever’s already-maximized hit points before the enemies could even lay their deadly hands on him.
Her map awareness was sorely lacking, and her timing was grievously off.
Xin acted swiftly, issuing orders to his golems to shield Rever, but they moved too sluggishly to make a difference.
Victor, entrenched in his own desperate battle, was unable to come to Rever’s aid.
Against the simultaneous onslaught of five skeletons targeting his vulnerable back, even Rever’s high defense seemed insufficient, and his doom appeared inevitable.
Yet, in a stunning turn of events, the skeletal assailants fragmented into thousands of minuscule shards, sparing Rever from certain death.
As the dust settled, the astonished group beheld their savior, none other than Midnight Duchess herself.
"You should be more careful," she slurred in her signature low chilling voice.